Oh, come on - Iraq is no nearer to any internal political coherence than it has ever been since we destroyed the previous regime. We sent in 30,000 troops after the majority of the ethnic cleansing had been accomplished by the competing factions in Iraq. If we had sent 50,000 troops, there would have been even less violence. The fact that we have found a formula for occupying Iraq with lesser risk to our troops instead of extreme risk, doesn't mean that the surge has worked. It sure isn't working to make a viable nation of Iraq. And, it doesn't change the indisputable fact that we have no right to BE in Iraq, that invading it was a colossal mistake and a violation of international law. So saying the surge is 'working' and celebrating that, is like saying that robbing a bank 'worked' because you killed all the tellers and got away with the cash. That doesn't make it something that worked, and it doesn't give you anything to celebrate - you're still guilty and a failure. In fact, 2007 was the bloodiest year since the invasion 5 years ago, and there is now new violence in the north between the Turks and the Kurds.
This is not what I call a strategy that 'worked.' Our military is the weakest it has ever been at any time in any living person's lifetime. Our resources are draining from our economy at an alarming pace. And our stature in the world is approaching 'pariah' level. The purpose of the surge was to provide space for political progress, but no political progress has taken place, hence the surge has failed. But an even larger failure looms ahead, because one thing the surge did accomplish, is the arming of the Sunni factions in preparation for it's eventual showdown with the Shiites.
The BushCo's concerted propaganda war to convince the American people that the 'surge' has worked, is not working. You can clear all the hookers out of Times Square, and put cops on every corner, but how long will it be before they come back? The surge is working - how? Is the Iraqi government now representative, bi-partisan and democratic? Do the people now have hospitals, electricity, sewage, schools, security, heat, jobs, rebuilt homes? Do the Iraqis and the rest of the people in the Middle East now acknowledge that the US is a great friend? Is Basra is a success story? What about the 4 million refugees that has had to flee to other countries?
Last month, we were down to 23 deaths in Iraq, so is that what we call doing a good job? How many soldiers are going to need arms, legs, and minds worked on, for how many years to come - has anyone counted them? How many Iraqis are still dying, how many of their children will be too old to go to their grade schools again, and what about food, water, electricity, sewers, homes? What about the money we have spent on this war? - and lets add the amount that has been pocketed by Bush and his friends? - how about the price of gas we are now paying, and what about our own children that we can't now afford to give heath care too?
Until there is political, economic and social progress, and the troops leave, Iraq will be judged a failure that no 'surge' can fix, and it will remain a ball and chain around America's neck and a stain on our reputation forever.
No comments:
Post a Comment